Keeper clips of the foregoing kind are typically made of steel and are in the form of an elongate closed loop having two flat sides which are separated by distance sufficient to receive at least one thickness of a belt or strap between them. End portions of the section of material which form the loop overlap at one of the flat sides to provide a gate through which the belt or strap may be moved laterally into and out of the clip. For the purpose of such attachment or detachment, the overlapping end portions of the clip need to be forced apart to permit passage of the belt or strap. Furthermore, it is necessary to crumple the belt or strap transversely in order to get the belt or strap completely through the gate during the attachment operation. The same process is necessary in order to get the strap or belt through the gate for the detachment operation. Attachment and detachment of such a clip is therefore an inconvenient and time consuming operation.
Another problem with metal keeper clips is that they are quite heavy, and consequently they can add significantly to the weight of the equipment carried by a member of the armed forces. They are also relatively expensive to manufacture. In addition, the use of metal keeper clips on equipment worn by members of the armed forces presents a danger because such clips are radar reflective.